Design, management and comissioning of a utility connected microgrid based on IEC 61850

This paper presents an approach to microgrid automation. The microgrid is composed of three different nodes connected to the public electric grid, which are hardware emulated with back-to-back converters. The microgrid is a flexible and weather independent test bed for testing different control algorithms. The intelligence of the automation system is split in three hierarchical layers: the RMU layer, the iNode layer and the iSocket layer. Communications among iNode and iSockets are according IEC 61850 standard. The aims of the project is to comission a set of technologies and acquire experience in microgrid automation, IEC 61850 communications and power control algorithms in DER systems.